molecular cloud Archives

The initial condition of the converging flow simulation. The color shows the number density of hydrogen nuclei on the 𝑧 = 0 plane. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Intelligence & Language, Status Report

Time-dependent Chemical Evolution During Cloud Formation: H2-regulated Chemistry In Diffuse Molecular Cloud

by Keith CowingJanuary 13, 2026January 13, 2026

We investigate the chemical evolution of a forming molecular cloud behind an interstellar shock wave. We conduct three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the converging flow of atomic gas, including a simple […]

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Origin & Evolution of Life, Panspermia, Status Report, Stellar Cartography

The Role Of Supernova Remnants For The Emergence Of Pre-biotic Chemistry In Molecular Clouds

by Keith CowingDecember 19, 2025December 19, 2025

There is growing evidence that the Sun might have formed within a nebula impacted by at least one SNR. In this scenario, ejecta and shocks from SNRs may have provided […]

The NSF Green Bank Telescope. Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/J.Hellerman

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

Astrochemistry: The Largest Molecular Survey To-date: GOTHAM Legacy Data Goes Public

by Keith CowingOctober 27, 2025October 27, 2025

A groundbreaking new dataset from the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Telescope (NSF GBT) is now publicly available, opening the door for scientists worldwide to make discoveries in one […]

Astrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Status Report

Astrochemistry: Abiotic Origin Of Citric Acid Cycle Intermediates

by Keith CowingJuly 8, 2025September 18, 2025

The molecular framework for protometabolism-chemical reactions in a prebiotic environment preceding modern metabolism-has remained unknown in evolutionary biology.

Colour-composite image of the Galactic Centre and Sagittarius B2 as seen by the ATLASGAL survey. The centre of the Milky Way is home to a supermassive black hole more than four million times the mass of our Sun. It is about 25 000 light years from Earth. Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2) is one of the largest clouds of molecular gas in the Milky Way. This dense region lies close to the Galactic Centre and is rich in many different interstellar molecules. -- ESO -- astro-ph.GA Larger image

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Differential Measurement of m_e/m_p: 3 mm Methanol Lines Toward Sagittarius B2(N) and (M) Molecular Clouds

by Keith CowingJune 7, 2025June 7, 2025

Differential measurement of the fundamental physical constant mu = m_e/m_p (the electron-to-proton mass ratio) toward two sources located near the Galactic center – the Sagittarius (Sgr) B2(N) and (M) molecular […]

Integrated intensity maps of the 0.9 mm dust continuum emission (taken from Rosotti et al. (2020)) and molecular line emission from the HD 100453 disk. For the line maps, the top right text notes the upper-energy level of the transition shown (see Table 1) and in all plots the beam is shown in the bottom left corner of each panel. The units of the color bar are mJy beam−1 km s−1 for the molecular lines and mJy beam−1 for the continuum and the position of HD 100453 A is marked with a star. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Status Report

Ice Sublimation In The Dynamic HD 100453 Disk Reveals A Rich Reservoir Of Inherited Complex Organics

by Keith CowingApril 22, 2025April 22, 2025

Protoplanetary disks around luminous young A-type stars are prime observational laboratories to determine the abundances of complex organic molecules (COMs) present during planet formation.

Protostellar Envelope and Jet: IRAS 16253-2429 - A young protostar and its signature outflow peeks out through a shroud of dust in this infrared image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. Stars are known to form from collapsing clumps of gas and dust, or envelopes, seen here around a forming star system as a dark blob, or shadow, against a dusty background. The greenish color shows jets coming away from the young star within. The envelope is roughly 100 times the size of our solar system. Astronomers believe that the irregular shape of the envelope, revealed in detail by Spitzer, might have triggered the formation of twin, or binary stars in this system. Infrared light with a wavelength of 3.6 microns has been color-coded blue; 4.5-micron light is green; and 8.0-micron light is red. larger imagery -- NASA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report, Stellar Cartography

Molecular Cloud Biology

by Keith CowingMarch 5, 2025March 5, 2025

Some astrobiological models suggest that molecular clouds may serve as habitats for extraterrestrial life.

Left: Molecular emission lines from mysterious icy objects captured by the ALMA telescope. The background image is an infrared composite color map, where 1.2-micron light is shown in cyan and 4.5-micron light is in red, based on infrared data from 2MASS and WISE. Top right: Infrared spectrum of the upper icy object in the left image, observed by the AKARI satellite, showing absorption bands due to ices and dust. Bottom right: The location of the two icy objects in the Galactic plane (image modified from the GAIA data). Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), ESA/Gaia/DPAC, T. Shimonishi et al. (Niigata Univ.).

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release

Astrochemistry: Mysterious Interstellar Icy Objects And Organic Molecules

by Keith CowingMarch 4, 2025

Organic molecules that serve as the building blocks of life are believed to form in space, but their exact formation sites and delivery mechanisms to planets remain a major mystery […]

NASA’s SPHEREx mission will survey the Milky Way galaxy looking for water ice and other key ingredients for life. In the search for these frozen compounds, the mission will focus on molecular clouds — collections of gas and dust in space — like this one imaged by the agency’s James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

SPHEREx Space Telescope Will Seek Life’s Ingredients

by Keith CowingFebruary 13, 2025February 13, 2025

Where is all the water that may form oceans on distant planets and moons? The SPHEREx astrophysics mission will search the galaxy and take stock.

From left to right: M 82 NOEMA CO(J=1-0), MIRI-F770W, and MIRI-F1130W images in cutouts of 5′ ×4.2 ′. The left panel also contains the molecular clouds identified in §3.2 (white contours), the centroid of the CO(J = 1 − 0) and the different regions identified in the starburst as described in Krieger et al. (2021). The inset in the left panel correspond to the NOEMA beamsize at ν = 115 GHz. The green crosses in the middle and right panels are indicate the optical center of M 82. The black contours in the middle and right panels correspond to the regions covered by the MIRI-MRS and the yellow boxes are the regions with Spitzer IRS data from Beirão et al. (2008); both are used in this work to apply a first-order continuum subtraction (see §3.1). -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

JWST Observations of Starbursts: Relations Between PAH Features and CO Clouds in the Starburst Galaxy M 82

by Keith CowingJanuary 29, 2025January 29, 2025

We present a study of new 7.7-11.3 μm data obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope Mid-InfraRed Instrument in the starburst galaxy M 82.

molecular cloud

Time-dependent Chemical Evolution During Cloud Formation: H2-regulated Chemistry In Diffuse Molecular Cloud

The Role Of Supernova Remnants For The Emergence Of Pre-biotic Chemistry In Molecular Clouds

Astrochemistry: The Largest Molecular Survey To-date: GOTHAM Legacy Data Goes Public

Astrochemistry: Abiotic Origin Of Citric Acid Cycle Intermediates

Differential Measurement of m_e/m_p: 3 mm Methanol Lines Toward Sagittarius B2(N) and (M) Molecular Clouds

Ice Sublimation In The Dynamic HD 100453 Disk Reveals A Rich Reservoir Of Inherited Complex Organics

Molecular Cloud Biology

Astrochemistry: Mysterious Interstellar Icy Objects And Organic Molecules

SPHEREx Space Telescope Will Seek Life’s Ingredients

JWST Observations of Starbursts: Relations Between PAH Features and CO Clouds in the Starburst Galaxy M 82

Zhurong Mars Rover Observations Primary Evaporite In Southern Utopia Planitia

ESCAPADE Departure Angle View Of Earth And Luna

ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover Recon: Geological History Of Oxia Planum

Planetary Stability and Long-Term Habitability in Nearby Stellar Binaries: 70 Oph, 36 Oph, γ Leo

An Enriched Methane D/H Ratio in the Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS